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This book is a demonstration of the richness, worth and vitality of Australian documentary record. At the same time, it is an introduction to collecting Australiana for those who, if not already bitten by the book bug, have been dangerously exposed to it. Readers who are immune to the attractions of collecting but who value our past and its books will also find something to interest them in the following pages.
Explores how the idea of rare books was shaped by collectors, traders and libraries from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Using examples from across Europe, David McKitterick looks at how rare books developed from being desirable objects of largely private interest to become public and even national concerns.
"Discoveries of rare and collectible books are chronicled in stories from both casual and die-hard book collectors" --
This Element examines the trade in rare books and manuscripts between Britain and America during a period known as the 'Golden Age' of collecting. Through analysis of contemporary press reports, personal correspondence, trade publications and sales records, this study contrasts American and British perspectives as rare books passed through the commercial market. The aim is to compare the rhetoric and reality of the book trade in order to assess its impact on emerging cultural institutions, contemporary scholarship and shifting notions of national identity. By analysing how markets emerged, dealers functioned and buyers navigated the market, this Element interrogates accepted narratives about the ways in which major rare book and manuscript collections were formed and how they were valued by contemporaries.